Rice turns up the volume

Running back not shy about voicing opinion

Ray Rice declined to speak to the media after the Ravens’ 22-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, citing a need to keep his emotions in check.

The running back, however, did plenty of talking during the game, including a moment of anger caught on camera.

After kicker Billy Cundiff converted a 35-yard field goal with 52 seconds left in the third quarter, defensive tackle Arthur Jones was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct – a 15-yard penalty that forced Cundiff to kick from the 20-yard line, not the usual spot at the 35.

Rice was filmed yelling something in Jones’ direction. Rice declined to elaborate on what he said but insisted that he wasn’t trying to demean his teammate.

“At that time and point, it was Arthur Jones, but Arthur can take that from me because Arthur knows where it’s coming from,” Rice said Wednesday. “Arthur knows how serious I am about winning, and he is a serious guy about winning as well. I thought at the time, the penalty that he got, he could have been smarter. He knows that I was upset, but our guys don’t take it that kind of way. [Inside linebacker] Ray [Lewis] will come at me on the sideline and let me know what I am doing wrong. If I am not hitting crease the way I am supposed [to], sometimes it isn’t being clear-cut, he will come to me and tell me to put my foot in the ground and go north and south. We have those kind of guys. I just happen to be the guy who got caught on camera. I feel vocal. I am not going to be shy about being vocal. I love it. That’s a role that I am embracing on this team. It’s next in order, and I feel like I have waited a certain amount of ways, where now, it’s good to go.”